Do I need the manual?

I'm thinking of purchasing the non-U.S. version of Civ IV through ebay. It is claimed that the game starts up in English, which is good for me. They state, however, that the manual will not be provided. Should I be ok without it? I've played Civ III, a lot, and I would imagine that there are plenty of in game tutorials, the standard Civlopedia, et cetera.

One concern is about the more advanced modding that is available. Is this addressed at all in the manual? Is there an equivalent in-game to explain modding options?

Thank you for your comments.

I found the manual helpful. And it makes good nighttime reading. Even better are the tech posters and other fun stuff that comes in the box. However, I wouldn't say that these are necessary to enjoy and excel at CIV.

For the most part, you can find most (and in some cases, more) CIV information here at civfanatics. You'll want to read about the civs, their leaders and traits, wonders, units, etc. Basically, I would recommend reading all of that info here. It's pretty easy to find.

The manual has some helpful information on modding, but nothing you can't find here, either. Just read all the information you can. You'll be fine buying the disk without reading materials, though you might find a boxed version elsewhere. That is, a boxed version might come up for auction soon. Also, look in local store ads for discounted unopened versions.

The manual is also slightly outdated (patches) and has multiple errors in it.

I'd suggest getting it. If you have any questions, you can always ask us.

If you know civ 3, you don't really need the manual. Best to have it though!

If you need one to hold, you are welcome to mine. I haven't used or even seen it since January.

Smacks of pirating to me. The guy buys the game and makes a copy. He then keeps the copy and the manual, and sells the original CD. Why else would the manual not be provided, if not because he wants to keep it? Actually, i wouldn't be surprised if the CD he's selling you was itself a copy.

If you want to use pirated software, download it for free. If not, don't buy from that guy.

Lithgon said:

The manual is also slightly outdated (patches) and has multiple errors in it.

Click to expand...

multiple errors theres loads

If you've played previous Civ games a reasonable amount you can probably do without the manual. It covers the basics fairly well, but beyond that you're better off lookng in the strategy articles here on the forum. The manual also had a number of inaccuracies and omissions when the game was released, and patches have made matters worse. Despite running to over 200 pages there is barely a page devoted to the subject of modding, and even that contains no useful information.

All in all I wouldn't worry about it too much. I haven't read mine since about two days after I got the game.